Kind words

…from people we’ve had the honor of supporting

“For anyone craving autonomy, and true evidence based practices with someone in touch with their intuition, Annika is the midwife for you.”

“Annika is literally the most loving, caring, knowledgeable and profound midwife I could have ever asked for. My pregnancy was emotionally and physically challenging, and Annika held such immaculate space as she helped me walk through the depths of my processing visit after visit. No time limits meant our prenatals often went 3 hours long. She wasn't afraid of taking my hand and helping me traverse the shadow parts that continually came up through my pregnancy. No telling me what to do, but offering all the options. She instilled confidence in me..in my ability to grow this human and birth him in power. I learned so much about myself and my body and birth and pregnancy through Annika.

When my son came into this world 6 weeks early while we were out of town, Annika rushed to us, 5 hours away to be with me. Because of all of our time together, I knew deeply about the stages of birth, about what I wanted and didn't want being in the hospital...I was informed and I held the power. When Annika arrived shortly after my birth, she advocated for me when I was too exhausted to advocate for myself. She drove me to the Tucson NICU when my baby was being airlifted away from me. Annika stayed with me for 3 days while we settled down in the NICU. The care and love I received in those three days is beyond words. Those first days were the hardest of my life, being away from my baby, and all of my plans thrown out the window. Annika held me when I sobbed and sobbed. She brought me food, she brewed me herbs, she massaged my feet, she helped me face my grief in ways I couldn't do by myself. This care continued past the NICU when we got home in Flagstaff. The bond that this formed is out of this realm, and irreplaceable.

Her relationship with BIRTH as a spirit is powerful. Annika has now become one of my very closest friends. I couldn't recommend her enough to anyone who is desiring the most potent devoted care in their pregnancy and birth. For anyone craving autonomy, and true evidence based practices with someone in touch with their intuition, Annika is the midwife for you. Bring her into your family, you won't regret it.”

—Rachel B., Flagstaff, AZ.

“I simply do not know another person who honors the wisdom of the mother and the family during this journey like [Annika] does.”

“Annika is truly one of the most powerful, supportive, and loving people and midwives I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I always say this and I will continue to say this, Northern Arizona is seriously so blessed to have Annika’s presence in the pregnancy and birth community. The way she shows up in her authenticity, in her integrity and with her immense scale of knowledge and wisdom truly establishes her as one of the best, if not (in my opinion) the best option as a midwife and sister for the preconception/pregnancy/birth/post partum journey.

I simply do not know another person who honors the wisdom of the mother and the family during this journey like she does. While also acknowledging and informing clients around some of the routine things done in a more medicalized model. The options and tests that are offered always have a sense of “what do you think about this” “how do you want to go about this”.

Walking my pregnancy/birth/post partum journey with Annika, I was not only supported in all of the physical ways (ie food, hydration, tests, “is this normals”, recommendations for discomforts, etc) but also wholesomely held in ALL of the emotional/spiritual ways.

She’s the kind of practitioner who is a true healer. She is a true sister. She is there for every part of the journey in a deep and whole kind of way. She’s the one who showed up at my bedside when I needed someone to cry to, to remind me of what’s what. She is there for not just the prenatal and birth but she tends diligently and carefully to the days and weeks and months following birth as well.

I could go on and on about all of the wonderful things Annika is,but I’ll just say this: I truly receive so much joy and excitement in my body when I hear one of my friends or loved ones who is pregnant or wanting to become pregnant are going to have Annika as their midwife because I know they are in the most loving, supportive and wise hands.”

—Amara S., Flagstaff, AZ

“Annika is truly one the most powerful healers I’ve ever had the honor of working with. The genuine love, sisterly support, and honesty, was unparalleled.”

“I connected with Annika when I was 36 weeks pregnant and very angry with the birthing options in northern Arizona. I had been through every option possible; the birth center, licensed midwives, unlicensed midwives etc. I felt so unsupported, unheard, & honestly abused thus far in my pregnancy & I knew I wanted to freebirth my baby with just my partner there with me. Annika was the first person to truly hear me & honor my birth wishes fully.

From the beginning, she listened without judgment, ill intent, or a desire of making this HER experience. I had completed an online freebirth program with my partner so we felt as prepared as one could be going into a new experience. That said, it was extremely helpful & reassuring to talk through what physiological birth looks like as well as variations of normal & what is not normal in birth + immediate postpartum. I immediately felt a deep soul connection to Annika and I knew I wanted to work with her.

We hired Annika to be *on-call* for my birth as well as her amazing postpartum care package which included 6-10 visits based on my needs. When my baby decided to come, she entered this world fast & hard. When I was in my moment of transition, I had reached my limit in every conceivable way and I was honestly ready to transfer. My partner asked if he could call Annika first & I begrudgingly agreed at the time haha. My partner came back & relayed what she had told him: “you don’t need anything or anyone to birth your baby, you are the powerhouse, you can do this by yourself, right now”.

About 10 minutes later my baby, Opal, was born into my partner’s arms in full love & power. It was the most transformational, spiritual, and blissful moment of my entire life.

Annika came over later that day, when I was ready, to do a newborn exam and check in on me. I’ll never forget her walking into my room & doing a little dance singing “you did it!!!” I felt so much love, support, and power in that moment & I was so grateful I had her support. She was incredibly respectful of Opal and helped instruct me on what I should be feeling / looking for instead of going in and handling my brand new baby. She asked for permission to ever touch her which felt incredibly respectful and caring. We talked through everything in a very digestible way, in fact it felt like the exact opposite of being *talked at* by a doctor or licensed midwife. I felt heard, loved, and that someone was there for me if I needed anything.

My postpartum time was rough. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. I was recovering from giving birth while also dealing with clogged ducts among other breastfeeding issues. Annika was such an amazing support system through it all. We had so many late night phone calls talking through the heavy emotions postpartum brings up. All our visits were very personal and followed a different flow every time. After every visit I felt so held, heard, & supported.

At 2 months postpartum I decided it was time to get Opal’s ties revised & seek help from an IBCLC. Annika was there for me through the entire process. I don’t know that I could have gone through with it without her support. Having gone though it herself with her baby, she was able to give me real anecdotal information as to what the procedure & aftercare would look like. She even lit a candle for us while the procedure was going on.

I cannot express enough what an incredible, beautiful, & wise human Annika is. I feel so honored to have walked with her through this journey into motherhood. Annika is wildly knowledgeable on everything birth & is able to share that info in a digestible way. She had endless resources, recommendations, and truly helpful advice. If you are looking to be whole-heartedly supported in your highest vision of birth and birth in YOUR full power, connect with this outstanding wise woman!! Thank you Annika ♥️♥️♥️”

-Brittany A., Flagstaff, AZ.

“a safe place to mourn, a safe place to celebrate,  a safe place to grow.”

“Annika acted as a loving,  welcoming sounding board. She made me feel comfortable sharing my intimate thoughts and feelings related to navigating pregnancy after a loss. She provided me a safe place to mourn, a safe place to celebrate,  a safe place to grow.  She allowed me to find my voice to speak my healing into existence. Because she was so quiet in her listening and so encouraging when I spoke I felt comfortable to dig deep into myself to find truth and she was always happy to be there to hear my new discovery.  She uses technology (i.e. Marco Polo app) to make herself readily available to me whenever I have a thought or question arise and she is quick to respond always leaving me feeling heard, appreciated and loved. 

She was a reminder of the generations of strong women who have come before us, who have birthed in power, who have been a part of the creation story, who are a part of my story.  I am eternally grateful that she was a part of my pregnancy and birth! If I ever become pregnant again there is not a doubt in my mind that Annika will be there by my side to encourage and support me again! It would be fair to say that I love her!!!”

-Danielle L., Ashfork, AZ.

“completely cared for and supported through these many transitions”

“Annika accompanied me through my journey into motherhood from the very beginning. She helped me through my first pregnancy ending in miscarriage, not only did she help guide me through the loss and care for me but she also helped me empower and educate myself to stand up to family that were trying to pressure me into going to the hospital afterwards. She helped me understand my Miscarriage was just another form of birth.

Two years later I became pregnant again, Annika was the first person I told after my partner. She holds a beautiful, grounding space for me unlike any person I've ever met. She was so there for me any time I needed her and was always supportive of my choices. Throughout my whole pregnancy she was the first person I'd turn to with my most personal questions. Annika helped me identify when I got the PUPPS rash late pregnancy and brought me herbs and aloe vera. She supported me through all the heavy emotions that come naturally with pregnancy and the intense uncertainty I felt as a result of giving birth during the COVID 19 pandemic and also being two weeks past my "due date".

I labored through the night and when my partner woke up we had a bad moment and I immediately knew I needed Annika there, I called and she came quickly and I felt so much better with her grounding momma energy around. She cared for me, suggested some positions, and made me a smoothy, and even helped my partner ground down.

She also started playing some music for me at a very needed moment which just happened to be the main artist in my pregnancy Playlist. My postpartum care from her was amazing; she came and brought me beautiful home cooked meals, helped feed me while I was nursing and offered me Reiki. She made me feel completely cared for and supported through these many transitions. I feel honored that she was a part of my wonderful birth team.”

-Mary B., Flagstaff, AZ.

“[She] held that space for me to just do what I needed to do without intervening or trying to stop the process.”

“Annika was by my and my family’s side to witness my son come Earthside one early August morning. It was a really long 24 hour labor, and despite having a previous almost 35 hour natural labor, I was not prepared for the breakdown that my body and mind would go through this second time.

As soon as Annika walked in the door to my house I started crying and I continued to have a lot of crying and strong feelings of frustration for the next 12 hours. In the weeks after my birth, I felt weak in a sense because I was so surprisingly hysterical during labor. I was so ready to just call it quits at home, go to the hospital, and get a C-section because I was just done. I had somehow made it through my previous birth with no pain interventions in the hospital and handled it so well on my own, so why wasn’t I like that again? In retrospect, I realized that I broke down because I could. I was in a safe space, and I could have a total breakdown knowing everyone in my house would support me, including Annika. I knew she would support my desire to have a completely intervention free homebirth, and I subconsciously knew that I didn’t need to be strong.

When I expressed over and over again that I was concerned that I couldn’t do it for xyz reasons, she would acknowledge that feeling and help me dig deeper as to why I truly felt that way, often helping me realize I really didn’t feel that way and it was just something society was putting on me. Annika held that space for me to just do what I needed to do without intervening or trying to stop the process. Of course, I was hella strong and I amazingly delivered my son in bed at home, but I’m still so glad Annika was there to validate my experience (and wipe my poop...).”

-Steffani R., Flagstaff, AZ.

“I have never felt so perfectly held by someone in my life! “

“Annika is truly a birth magician. She came to my labor about halfway through the process, and everything improved RADICALLY once she arrived! Things that were rocky at the beginning became incredibly smooth, with the addition of Annika’s warm presence.

She made me feel so safe, and supported during the birth process. I have never felt so perfectly held by someone in my life!

She was everything I needed during my birth process and I truly don’t think I could have done it without her!

I am forever grateful and HIGHLY recommend her for anyone looking for an empowered, supported and life changing birth experience! You will tap into your true magic with Annika by your side. She is a catalyst for empowerment and wisdom in all areas, especially birth :) due to Annika’s skill, wisdom and confidence, I will forever trust in my bodies ability to birth and carry life. Thank you, Annika, and blessings to all.”

-Aimee M., Cornville, AZ.

“Annika supported my own mama intuition, and used that for the guide of the process.”

“My family and I chose Annika as our birth assistant for the birth of my first daughter, Amara. I absolutely loved the approach we had. Annika came to check in on us every few weeks, and then every week by the time the pregnancy cycle was closing. We didn’t do anything unnatural, so as to not interfere with the growth of this little one. I felt so encouraged to have the support I needed for this approach. Annika brought me herbs, and teas, and tarot cards during our meetings. These things helped me in the transition into motherhood, and all the changes my body was going through. We would talk about how we were feeling as a family, how I was feeling emotionally, and how it felt to have a newborn coming so soon.

Annika is very well informed on homeopathic medicine too! This was very helpful for me toward the end of my pregnancy when my body ached, and my sleep cycle was almost non-existent. We were able to find the homeopathic remedies to help with that. During my birth, my whole family was present. I felt so supported. I knew I had all I could ever need. A true blessing is Annika supported my own mama intuition, and used that for the guide of the process. She was there to support me, and to remind me I was capable of this. I felt so blessed to have gone through such a natural process of bringing this sweet baby girl into the world. Annika teaches about postpartum care too! Which is SO important in this process. I am grateful she addresses this. It creates a strong connection in the family later, and it is so important to know about, because it is such a delicate time.”

-Tabrizi K., Parks, AZ.